Grilled Pork Chops with Balsamic Caramelized Pears

"The recipe transforms thin supermarket pork chops into an unforgettable-juicy-tender-flavor-packed-lip-smacking pork experience. A combination of brining, marinating, and saucing. All can be prepared ahead except for the last 5 minutes of grilling."

Directions

In a large bowl, stir together the water, kosher salt, and sugar. Add pork chops to this brine, and let them soak for no more than one hour. Drain and discard the brine. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels.

In a shallow dish, stir together the olive oil, garlic, and rosemary. Place pork chops in the dish, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 or 2 hours.

Pour the balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by 1/2, about 10 minutes. When the vinegar cools, it should be the consistency of syrup.

Melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high or high heat. Add the onions and pears, and quickly brown being careful to keep the wedges intact. Once the onions and pears are browned, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 7 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the reduced vinegar and salt. The recipe can be prepared up to this point several hours before grilling.

Preheat the grill for medium-high heat.

Warm pears on a cool section of the grill (in the skillet), while placing the pork chops over the hot part. Cook pork for about 3 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Remove to a serving plate, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for a few minutes. Uncover, top with the pear onion sauce, and serve.

Most Helpful Positive Review

Aug 22, 2010

I used 4 pork loin chops (about 3/4" thick, so they definitely took longer than 3 minutes per side to grill), but I used the full amount of balsamic-onion-pear sauce. I browned the onions on their own (not sure why recipe states to be sure to leave onions in wedges; couldn't possibly happen at my house unless skewering them, and um...why?!); then at the end of the browning, I added the pear wedges so they wouldn't get too mushy. This worked great (thanks to reviewer, imvintage). The balsamic reduction did harden when it cooled, but a bit of heat brought it back to the syrup stage. I started the chops out on the grill, but I'm a little bit of a grill-wuss and had never grilled pork chops before, so when it seemed like there might be the potential for them getting too tough, I brought them inside and finished them off in a pan. They came out great; done, not tough, and still had that great grilled flavor as well as retaining the subtle rosemary flavor. I reheated the onion-pear sauce on the stovetop, rather than the grill. Thank you, Osorkin, for a good recipe!

Most Helpful Critical Review

This recipe is all about the sauce.
It's that good. I made a double batch. I used half for the pork-beautiful! The other half I cooked down into a chutney & used it as a topping for brushetta with melted gorgonzola on top-Oh Mommie!

We loved this! The flavor of the balsamic meshes so well the pork chops. Although I think the pears got lost in the mix & they turned mushy. I don't think they added anything to the dish & next time I will leave them out. I did use thin chops & I grilled them inside on a grill pan. On the test bite they wrre a little salty & that worried me but after topping w/ the balsamic mixture, the taste was perfect! I left them in the brine for almost the full hour...for health reasons, next time I will decrease the time to try to eliminate some of the saltiness. I srved these w/a basic salad & pan fried garlic asparagus...looking forward to having them again!

The flavor of the pork is VERY good in this - I was a little skeptical of the "brining" process, but I guess it worked. I stuck toothpicks through my onion wedges - I don't knw how they would have stayed together otherwise...I barely had the pears in long enough to heat them up, and still they were overcooked. When I make this again I won't heat them at all, just pour the hot sauce on 'em. Thanks for the recipe!

Wonderful! The pear/onion/balsamic mixture was to die for, and the chops were very juicy. The marinade was flavorful enough that the meat would have been excellent even without the toppings. One change- I pan-fried the chops (about six minutes on each side), instead of grilling them. Very impressive and 'gourmet' tasting, but still easy

This dish is one of my favorites to make! It's so easy and is absolutely delicious! One important tip I learned from experience: read the packaging of your meat carefully. Some meats have already been brined (when it says so-and-so percent salt and water). In that case, try skipping the brining step. You can always brine it for a short while next time if you think it necessary. Also, I think thin-cut chops (as the recipe calls for) work best.

Excellant and easy....I substituted apples for pears....I wasn't sure how to cut them so I did some thick and some thinner...I definatley recommend thicker, that way they dont turn to mush...Definately Recommend. Served with Rosmary roasted potatoes.

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.